How to Fold a Book Into a Word - the Original Tuto

Intro: How to Fold a Book Into a Word - the Original Tuto

Here it is : the tuto to make yourself a folded book.

Whatever you want to write or make a shape.

WARNING : this is the original tuto, with all the steps
With this one you will make really detailed altered books.

STEP 1: Download Photoshop

This tuto is made with Photoshop (you can find a free trial version on the web).

STEP 2:

Open a new file, pixel scale.

Width is the number of sheets.
WARNING : I said “sheets” and not pages !!

For the height : height of your sheets in cm (be careful, the cover can be higher) multiplied x12.
This increase is for the final distorsion (folded sheets take up more space).

STEP 3:

Choose the custom shape tool or the text tool.

If it is a word, choose your font and create a layer for each letter.

WARNING : if it’s a word don’t leave space between each letter (each column must have a black area).

STEP 4:

In the “view” menu, check “rulers” and “extras“.

Use the “pencil tool“, “square brushes“, size 1 pixel.

STEP 5:

Rasterize layer.
Zoom until the ruler shows each pixel.

We’re going to modify areas where the text (or the shape) has two parts on the same column.

For the “L“, the grey areas won’t be changed (vertical lines are not broken).

STEP 6:

Keep in mind that each column is a sheet of your book.

With the “pencil tool” (square brushe, size 1 px, white color) erase one column out of two in the upper area.
Then erase one column out of two in the lower area shifting the deletion from the upper area.

At the folding time, you will have :
- first sheet for the upper part,
- second sheet for the lower part,
- third sheet for the upper part…. and so on, until complete columns.

STEP 7:

Do the same for letters “o” and “v“.

The “e” is special, because you don’t have 2 areas on the same column but 3 !!

STEP 8:

First part ⇒ nothing to change (except if there is a letter before).

Second part ⇒ Erase two columns out of three, shifting the deletion :
- first sheet for the upper part,
- second sheet for the middle part,
- third sheet for the lower part… and so on.

Third part ⇒ erase one column out of two

Fourth part ⇒ nothing to erase (this part is thin… I admit, I am fussy).

STEP 9:

Let’s have a look to the full pattern.

Now, we have to calculate all the folds….

STEP 10:

Keep your Photoshop document opened, grab your book, your ruler, a pencil… and a calculator !

On this pattern the 30 first sheets are not folded.

Zoom until the ruler show each pixel.
Place guides just before and after the first sheet (1st black column).

The vertical ruler displays 76 px and 81 px…. we have to divide them all by 12 !!
So, folds are at 6.35 cm and 6.75 cm (starting from the top of the sheet).

STEP 11:

For the following sheet, move vertical guides.

The vertical ruler displays 135 px and 140 px : folds are at 11.25 cm and 11.65 cm.

For a nice rendering, I recommend to round up two numbers after the point (2 decimals).

STEP 12:

For those who don’t want to use a software, you can make your pattern onto a squared paper or a graph paper.
You will have to run all these steps.

If you don’t want (or could not), here is the pdf patter.
All the calculations are done, but notice :
- sheets are 21 cm height,
- “Love” is made with 236 sheets.

ADD ON :

On my website you can find patterns for free and my online shop is HERE.

Comments

[Renron1974]

I haveinstructions for the alphabet but the letters are only 5cm tall. How do I enlarge the letters?

[Faitmain-Faitcoeur]

My alphabet is taller, you didn't get the instructions from my website, did you?

[JakeR66]

what do you mean by "sheet"??

[Faitmain-Faitcoeur]

It's impossible to fold pages!! So I'm talking about sheets ;-)
Enjoy my tuto,

[sinubuj]

Here you can create your own graphical pattern for free, to fold your own name.

http://www.orime.de/vorlagenprogramm/registrierung.php

[cbrady123]

Hello. I too thought this link would lead me to the easiest solution, but after printing out the "Home" template using A4 landscape format, I am finding that I don't know where to line up the template onto the book page that is slightly more than 23 cm tall, (15"), when the template is 20.2 cm, (8" tall), from border to border, (not the total landscape page height). A difference of approx. 3 cm. I also don't know if I am supposed to line up the border of the template along the book page top or bottom edge or if I need a larger template. In other words I need a 15" tall template and only have an 8 1/2" tall piece of paper if I print it landscape. The full version template builder won't let me change the page height. Even if it did, the landscape page height is only 8 1/2". I must be missing something??

[madeleines]

Thank you - very helpful

[rachel.hart.104]

Hi I didnt understand how the pattern works on this either. Really thought this link was what i was looking for, an easy way to get started. I typed in 350 pages for the word HOME. I was sent 349 lines with the word HOME spaced out with unused pages then the O and E all on 1 line instead of different. Cannot see how you can fold this word into 350 pages (175 sheets)???

[sinubuj]

350 is the last pagenumber at the last book page, 175 are the number of book pages. The pattern has for each book page one line and on the line is the pageumber. Depending on the folding direction even or odd pagenumbers

[rachel.hart.104]

Yes I can understand that, and i used your pattern of a love heart which came out beautiful thankyou. What im struggling to understand is how you fold letters like the O or E? E has 3 different folds, top middle and bottom so surely I would run out of pages as the top middle and bottom of the E is all on the same line.

[Faitmain-Faitcoeur]

Then you are on the right tuto !
Look at the steps 6-7 & 8 and you will find how to fold ;-)

[rachel.hart.104]

i was responding to sinubuj free graphical pattern. Like yourself didnt understand how you can use it for words! It works ok with a shape. Unfortunatly I dont have photoshop and cant get a free trail as my duaghter had it in the past. Ive found other free online photoshops, paint.net etc but as i dont know how to use them i cant follow your tuto :( I guess ill have to wait till i can afford to buy it :'(

[Faitmain-Faitcoeur]

I understood you're using Sinubuj's graphical pattern!
I was just telling you to look at the pictures of my tuto to see how to fold letters like O or E. It's the same way : you have to "cut" lines which are made with several areas.

Your first piece is nice!
I offer 5 free patterns here : http://shop.faitmain-faitcoeur.fr/en/

Beware, folding can be addictive ;-)

[rachel.hart.104]

I understand now, thankyou so much for your help :)

[rachel.hart.104]

my 1st piece!

[Faitmain-Faitcoeur]

It's just the graph of the shape, the hardest parts are not done!!

When buying on my online shop, I send a pdf pattern containing the marks for each sheet of your book : you can start folding immediatly!...

[sinubuj]

Yes, the graph of the shape with all marks for eache book page. Look inside the instruction book than you can see how to fold its easy

http://www.topp-kreativ.de/wir-lieben-papier-5885.html

[Faitmain-Faitcoeur]

I don't understand, this is the link to the book "Wir lieben papier", not to the pattern... ?

[sinubuj]

Look inside = "Blick ins Buch"

[ChloeF7]

I don't understand what you mean by 'sheets not pages'. What's the difference?!